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I don't post here often but this has been bugging me about the edge-pro - setting the knife-guide.

In his youtube video Ben Dale says "most knives are set at the narrowest part of the knife, you put the tip at this corner of the machine, you bring the knife guide up until the other corner just covers ..."

When I set a 240mm Gyuto this way, there will be a much larger over-hang at the heel of the knife (the widest part), whilst the narrowest part of the knife would "just cover" the edge-pro.

This effectively means that the heel of the knife (where it is widest and therefore over-hangs the most) will be sharpened at a slightly smaller angle than the tip of the knife (which would "just cover" the edge-pro).

Is the general thinking that the difference in angle is too small to worry about? Is there anyone here that adjusts the knife-guide as the knife tapers so that you maintain an exact angle (or as close as you can get)?

Any thoughts would be most helpful.

Paradox

Post subject: Re: Setting the Knife-Guide - Issues

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 1:28 pm

Joined: Tue May 01, 2012 4:53 pmPosts: 333Location: Seattle, WA USA

Look at it as you are setting the guide. Set it at a spot that you will be able to easily sharpen the whole blade keeping the edge at an even overhang for it's length. You might find that while doing the tip area you'll have to move the handle back toward the rear of the machine to compensate for the shorther height of the blade tip. Less of the blade will be in contact with the guide during this sharpening of the tip area. Hope that makes sense?

DullBlade

Post subject: Re: Setting the Knife-Guide - Issues

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:27 am

Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 1:30 pmPosts: 112

I asked Ben Dale that question and he replied that it is best to consistently use the procedure in his videos. I mentioned that the angle would be more acute at the heel of the blade, and he said that the difference would be slight and that you should get more consistent results by using the same way of setting the blade on the table for most knives.

In my opinion your approach is better and more accurate, and I will set the blade using this approach in the future. It is almost impossible to get exact metrics with the edge pro, but unless you go to ultra fine compounds such as .025 CBN, the relatively small variance of eyeballing the blade to try to make the amount of overhand even from heel to tip should not affect the performance of the knife.

Set it up the way Ben Dale explains - then it is critical that you ROTATE the blade while DRAWING it across the blade table as you reach the narrower tip section - this will ensure that your edge overhang is always constant, as well as perpendicular to the stone.

Go back & watch his video again.

_________________PICKLED IN SQUADRON RUM

DullBlade

Post subject: Re: Setting the Knife-Guide - Issues

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:50 pm

Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 1:30 pmPosts: 112

Thanks, that's the way I have always tried to do it, and I haven't noticed a problem with the results (although I never tried to measure the blade angle at different points). If I am off, it is only be a fraction. In addition to watching the videos a few times, I spoke to Ben about this over a year ago. I think Paradox's way will work too, and he is a high precision sharpener. But thanks, I will stick to the Ben way since it is easy, and I haven't had any problems with it. My biggest problem is consistently keeping the knife completely stable on the blade table with my off hand. I seem to get good edges, but not hair whittling. The weight of my 5K Chosera seems to sometimes cause a knife to roll a little at the end of some strokes.

corpfan1

Post subject: Re: Setting the Knife-Guide - Issues

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:51 pm

Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:09 pmPosts: 102

I can see your point with the knife rolling a bit at the end of the strokes...

I ordered some of those magnets for the edge-pro. Am hoping that will help with the rolling of the blade.

I can get my SS knife to push cut paper and tomatoes, but it won't shave hair, which got me wondering what I am doing wrong.

With a 120 pretty, I could set the knife in the middle and the stone could reach the entire length of the blade.

But on a 210 upwards, I need to draw the knife along the knife-guide, and thats where it gets challenging to maintain a consistent overhang, especially if the knife has got distinctly curved belly.

My understanding so far is that some angle variation is fine, but trying to achieve a consistent overhang would be better?

franzb69

Post subject: Re: Setting the Knife-Guide - Issues

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:31 am

Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 4:29 amPosts: 622Location: Philippines

might also be from sharpening too high a grit. i tend to do that with my stainless ones as well. they cut food well but won't shave arm hair. which is odd. lack of teeth perhaps or sharpening too much on the higher grit stones.

DullBlade

Post subject: Re: Setting the Knife-Guide - Issues

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2013 4:51 pm

Joined: Thu Jan 03, 2013 1:30 pmPosts: 112

I am not an expert with the Edge Pro, but I get basically every knife including cheap, garbage knives, some in bad shape to at least shave hair. I only care for performance in preparing food. I have only sharpened good Japanese steel twice on Edge Pro with quality stones, and have not quite gotten hair whittling, though the knives seem to perform well for me.

Usxlim, I think you need to slow down. Try not to move the knife with your off hand while sharpening the knife. Keep it still with your off hand using light pressure. Do not move the knife to the next section until you complete your strokes. This should make it easier to set each section of the knife on the table with more precision. Of course, the straighter the blade, the easier it is to sharpen. Also, I have only sharpened kitchen cutlery (I should get a knife to carry around, if I can find a decent cheap one). My kitchen knives do not have any extreme curves. If some of your knives have edges that deviate a lot from straight, sharpening on an Edge Pro or Wicked Edge becomes more challenging, but can be done effectively with more practice.. Of course, make sure that your stones are flat. Also, the stock EP stones load up quickly, especially if the speed of your strokes is not optimum for the stone. If the stones get glassy, you won't get shaving edges (happened to me when I first had the machine). When this happens you need to lap the stones, or you can use Ben's silicon carbide on glass with water to lightly rough up the stones, or you can rub the stone with a coarser stone, or a diamond plate under running water.

You can be off from keeping the blade overhang consistent and still get good shaving edges, but to get great or scary sharp edges requires more precision and skill.

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